Granfondo Il Lombardia

The Granfondo Il Lombardia is an amateur gran fondo organised by RCS Sports & Events, built around the weekend of the professional classic Il Lombardia. The date of the next edition has not been announced yet, so this page describes the latest official edition: the 9th Gran Fondo, held on Sunday 11 October 2026, the day after the professional race, which in 2026 ran from Bergamo to Como. In 2026 the gran fondo started in Bergamo for the first time, at the Accademia della Guardia di Finanza, and finished in Bergamo Alta at Largo Colle Aperto. The organiser’s pages describe a timed event with a timing chip, a mass start in four colour-coded grids and a single 108 km route through the hills of the Bergamo area.

Routes and distances

In 2026 the organiser offered one route, published with a timetable, a GPX and a profile.

The Granfondo Il Lombardia 2026 route covers 108 km with 2,400 m of climbing according to the route page (the event guide rounds it to 2,500 m) and a maximum gradient of 17%. Its key points, in order, are the Valico di Valcava (1,336 m), Bedulita, Passo Salmezza (1,098 m) and Selvino (920 m), then the run down to Bergamo Alta.

The 2026 route began on the edge of Bergamo with a gentle first 16 km, then climbed 11.7 km to the Valico di Valcava, the highest point of the day at 1,336 m. At Sedrina, hometown of Felice Gimondi, the course is back near valley level, and the organiser presents this passage as a tribute to the champion.

The second half is built around two more climbs: Passo Salmezza (1,098 m) at about km 83, and Selvino (920 m), followed by a long descent through Nembro. The finish is a final 8 km back up to Bergamo Alta, the old walled upper town. The organiser’s pages we read do not give length or average gradient for each individual climb.

Explore the route on Cycling Friendly: Granfondo Il Lombardia – 2026 route

Practical notes, all for the 2026 edition: the organiser set a seven-hour time limit. There were two refreshment points, at Valcava and at Selvino, plus three Shimano technical assistance points (Valcava, Villa d’Almè and Selvino), Blue Angels mechanical riders and a broom wagon. The event guide explains that once the “Fine Gara Ciclistica” vehicle overtakes you, road closures no longer apply and you must follow normal traffic rules. A disposable timing chip cost €10 at bib collection (or a personal chip could be activated for €5). The organiser publishes the GPX as a downloadable zip file on its route page, along with a KML and a timetable PDF.

Registration

For 2026, registration was online only, on the organiser’s registration platform, with payment by credit card, bank transfer or Satispay. The price rose with the order of entry: €70 for entries 1 to 500, €80 for entries 501 to 1,500 and €90 for entries 1,501 to 2,500. The fee included a race number, a technical jersey, a race bag, breakdown assistance (spare parts not included), medical care, feeding points, a broom wagon and a pasta party.

Per the event guide, bibs had to be collected at the Sentierone in Bergamo on the Friday or Saturday before the event (9:15 to 19:00), with the confirmation letter and a valid ID; collection could be delegated and numbers could not be collected on race day. Registration for the next edition has not been announced yet.

Full details are on the official website.

Why ride it

The route is linked to the professional classic: in 2026 the gran fondo ran on the day after Il Lombardia, which started in Bergamo the day before. The route passes through Sedrina, the hometown of Felice Gimondi, which the organiser presents as a tribute to him. The course packs the Valico di Valcava, Passo Salmezza and Selvino into 108 km, with a finish in Bergamo Alta, and the 2026 entry fee included a pasta party.

Where to stay

Riders usually arrive the day before, because bibs must be collected at the Sentierone village in Bergamo and the start grids open early on the morning of the event. We have no certified cycling-friendly hotels listed for this event yet, and the organiser’s pages we read do not recommend specific hotels, although the site links to a tour-operator page. Browse more cycling-friendly accommodation and book early for event weekend.